Pawnee County Demographics

A map of Pawnee County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	11,741	11,530	74.3%	74.1%
Multiracial	1,690	1,465	10.7%	9.4%
Native American/Other	1,537	1,969	9.7%	12.7%
Hispanic	615	467	3.9%	3.0%
Black	131	73	0.8%	0.5%
Asian	81	49	0.5%	0.3%

Pawnee County, Oklahoma has an estimated population of 15,795, a slight increase from the 15,553 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 74.3% White, 10.7% Multiracial, 9.7% Native American/Other, 3.9% Hispanic, 0.8% Black, and 0.5% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Pawnee County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Pawnee is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Oklahoma overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Pawnee County, that probability was 42.5% in 2020 and 42.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Pawnee County is ranked the 43rd most populous county in Oklahoma, out of 77 counties. Pawnee County was ranked the 43rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Pawnee County's White Population

11,741 residents of Pawnee County, or 74.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Pawnee County is considerably higher than in Oklahoma overall, where 62.1% of the population is White. Pawnee County ranks 16th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 77 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pawnee County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.8%. White residents' share of Pawnee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 74.3%.

Pawnee County is more White than neighboring Payne County (73.5% White), Osage County (62.1% White), and Creek County (73% White). Pawnee County is less White than neighboring Noble County (79% White), and Lincoln County (79.8% White).

Pawnee County's Black Population

131 residents of Pawnee County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Pawnee County is lower than in Oklahoma overall, where 6.8% of the population is Black. Pawnee County ranks 65th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 77 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pawnee County's Black population has grown by an estimated 79.5%. Black residents' share of Pawnee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Pawnee County is more Black than neighboring Noble County (0.3% Black). Pawnee County is less Black than neighboring Payne County (3.5% Black), Osage County (10.1% Black), Creek County (2% Black), and Lincoln County (1.6% Black).

Pawnee County's Asian Population

81 residents of Pawnee County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Pawnee County is comparable to the share in Oklahoma overall, where 2.4% of the population is Asian. Pawnee County ranks 54th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 77 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pawnee County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 65.3%. Asian residents' share of Pawnee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Pawnee County is more Asian than neighboring Osage County (0.3% Asian), and Noble County (0.2% Asian). Pawnee County is less Asian than neighboring Payne County (4.2% Asian), Creek County (0.7% Asian), and Lincoln County (0.6% Asian).

Pawnee County's Hispanic Population

615 residents of Pawnee County, or 3.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Pawnee County is lower than in Oklahoma overall, where 12.7% of the population is Hispanic. Pawnee County ranks 75th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 77 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pawnee County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 31.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Pawnee County's population has increased from 3.0% to 3.9%.

Pawnee County is less Hispanic than neighboring Payne County (6.6% Hispanic), Osage County (4.7% Hispanic), Creek County (5.4% Hispanic), Noble County (4.7% Hispanic), and Lincoln County (4% Hispanic).

Pawnee County's Native American/Other Population

1,537 residents of Pawnee County, or 9.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Pawnee County is slightly higher than in Oklahoma overall, where 7.1% of the population is Native American/Other. Pawnee County ranks 31st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 77 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pawnee County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 21.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Pawnee County's population has decreased from 12.7% to 9.7%.

Pawnee County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Payne County (3.9% Native American/Other), Noble County (6.2% Native American/Other), and Lincoln County (5.8% Native American/Other). Pawnee County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Osage County (10.9% Native American/Other), and Creek County (11.1% Native American/Other).

Pawnee County's Multiracial Population

1,690 residents of Pawnee County, or 10.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Pawnee County is comparable to the share in Oklahoma overall, where 8.9% of the population is Multiracial. Pawnee County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 77 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pawnee County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 15.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Pawnee County's population has increased from 9.4% to 10.7%.

Pawnee County is more Multiracial than neighboring Payne County (8.3% Multiracial), Creek County (7.8% Multiracial), Noble County (9.7% Multiracial), and Lincoln County (8.2% Multiracial). Pawnee County is less Multiracial than neighboring Osage County (12% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.